*Note: Date change for Just-in-Time Programming

Convocation was an opportunity to shine a light on a fast-changing world. It also demonstrated the need for us as a college to look at new opportunities and ways to think about, and possibly reconceive, the services/programming we provide and how they are delivered. As the needs of our students and communities continue to evolve, we need to do our best to stay at least one step ahead.

With this in mind, the cabinet and I have created several workgroups to help us in this process. The workgroups, along with the co-chairs and cabinet liaisons are listed below. We are excited to invite you to join us in this important initiative! Your participation is invaluable as we work together to explore new opportunities and drive meaningful change. We’re looking for input and fresh perspectives from across all areas of the college; experience in these topics is not required to participate.

To get started, we have scheduled several kick-off meetings, and we encourage you to attend the session(s) that address topics of interest to you. This is a great chance to connect with colleagues, share your insights, and help shape the future of our college.

Our plan is to meet, establish a workgroup around each focal point, and then have the workgroups lead actionable progress in these areas by the end of this academic school year. The goal is to think beyond what currently is in order to determine what could be. The projects represent areas that the cabinet and I believe are ripe for further development, enhancement, or change.

I think this will be a very exciting year for the college. This is an opportunity to collaboratively brainstorm and think futuristically on a large scale, and an opportunity to bring about changes that will truly make a difference.

I look forward to seeing you at one of our kick-off sessions.
Charlotte J. Warren, Ph.D.
President
Lincoln Land Community College

Workgroups:

Early Alert

We have tried for years to adopt and use an early alert system. We have had a number of versions, but now is an opportunity to take a look at what we really want this to accomplish and to create a system that is systematic, user friendly, and significantly increases retention of our students.
Co-chairs: Dr. Kalith Smith, Susan Boehler
Cabinet Liaison: Shanda Byer
Kickoff Meeting: Sept. 12, 1-3 p.m., R.H. Stephens Room

Non-Traditional Course Delivery

As we work to better address needs of adult students and learning methods of our new generation of students, we need to look at opportunities for programming including Competency Based Education, Prior Learning Assessment, and the places for blending of both non-credit and credit offerings.
Co-chairs: Dr. Laurel Bretz, Dr. Corrine Hinton
Cabinet Liaison: Bryan Gleckler
Kick-off Meeting: Sept. 16, 1-3 p.m., Menard Hall, Room 1175

Learning Resources for Students

We have a number of supports available for our students, but we need to ask whether our models of delivery are keeping pace with the changing learning needs of our students and reducing the stigma of asking for help. This workgroup will determine the resources and delivery needed for the future.
Co- chairs: Ryan Roberts, Alex Berry
Cabinet Liaison: Kyla Kruse
Kick-off Meeting: Sept. 18, 1-3 p.m., R.H. Stephens Room

Choosing a Health Care Career: Pathways & Entry Barriers

The need for health care providers is increasing in a post-COVID world that has led to a decrease in those choosing health care careers. That means that we need to promote pathways and career opportunities in those fields while also reducing/eliminating barriers to enrollment. This does not mean reducing quality, but it does mean we need to make entry for qualified applicants more seamless and demonstrate that our programs should be the health care programs of choice throughout our district.
Co-chairs: Dr. Leigh Giles-Brown, Dr. Bryan Goers
Cabinet Liaison: Karen Sanders
Kick-off Meeting: Oct. 10, 1-3 p.m., Kreher Agriculture Center, Room 1117

Just-in-Time Programming

*Note: New date

Traditional students will always be a part of our student body, however potential adult students and employers are looking for other options. There is increasing need for short-term programming to learn basic new skills, get a quick refresher on a subject, prepare for a new job, keep up with current job requirements, or seek opportunities for a promotion. This means building new certificate/program offerings that provide the opportunity to “ramp on and ramp off” to meet more immediate work needs of current students, potential students, and employers.
Co-chairs: Dr. Brent Todd, Josh Collins
Cabinet Liaison: Dr. Jason Dockter
Kick-off Meeting: Oct. 17*, 1-3 p.m., Menard Hall, Room 1175